The World Cup’s Magnificent Arabian Horses
Show Celebrates Thousands of Years of History Seeking Best in Breed
(Scottsdale, AZ) — The horses of the Arabian Horse Breeders Alliance (AHBA) World Cup are widely regarded as the foundation stock of modern light horse breeds. The origins of the Arabian horse trace back thousands of years to the Arabian Peninsula where they were bred by the Bedouins. The harsh desert conditions produced a strong horse with large lung capacity and remarkable endurance. Arabians were prized possessions, a sign of wealth, and known to live in the tents of their masters. They evolved to have high intelligence and affection for man. The highly selective and disciplined breeding practices of the Bedouins produced a very pure breed of 
horse with distinctive traits – a dished profile as compared with other horses; a fine mussel with large flaring nostrils; broad foreheads with large, expressive and wide-set eyes; smaller, curved ears. Very athletic horses, widely recognized for their heart and endurance, Arabians are called “Drinkers of the Wind.” Images of Arabian horses are found in works of art throughout recorded history, from Egyptian hieroglyphics to Renaissance paintings. Prized by kings and nobles, the Arabian was the chosen mount of Genghis Khan, Napoleon, Alexander the Great and George Washington. In the seventh century AD, Mohammed charged his followers with treating the Arabian with kindness as doing so would be rewarded in the afterlife. The modern Arabian horse is treasured around the globe as a work of art. Arabians compete as show horses in all disciplines from elegant dressage moves to western riding classes, to jumping to the crowd favorite Native Costume class unique to this breed. Arabians are race horses, working cow horses, endurance horses – and best of all, beloved family horses, companions and pets. Beautiful to behold in the show ring with long, flowing manes and tails, they are at home any place they are loved and well treated. Man has indeed a special bond with the Arabian. The history of these horses is a saga of intrigue, folklore, passion and romance for as Western civilization evolved, so has the Arabian. More about the breed at http://www.arabianhorses.org/education/education_history_intro.asp For links to Arabian breeding farms around the world, please see www.ArabHorse.com
